ACAC Class of 2017: Alvin Tietz

Apr 12, 2017

by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips

In celebration of its 50th season of competition, the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) held its inaugural ACAC Hall of Fame selection and ceremony in 2014 with induction of 50 individuals within the categories of builders and administrators, coaches and student-athletes.

In this the second installment, a total of eight inductees will be named with a Class of 2017 ceremony scheduled for May 13, 2017 in Calgary, Alberta.

Below is the sixth of eight inductee profiles

Coach Category

Alvin Tietz, Lethbridge College Kodiak Men's and Women's Soccer

For nearly 60 years, the name of Alvin Tietz has held prominence within the Lethbridge, Alberta soccer community.

According to the Lethbridge Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in the Athlete Category in 1989 for soccer and broomball, Tietz was a star soccer player in high school and senior men's, " known for his banana kick" while participating in the Western Canada Molson Cup, Ritchie Paterson Cup, Frank Miles Memorial Trophy and the Alberta Soccer Association Cup.

He would later join the Class of 1997 as a coach for the 1994 Lethbridge College Kodiak women's soccer Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national champion and again in 2016 as a member the 1963 Western Canadian soccer champions Lethbridge Hungaria.

Tietz, now 76 years-of-age, coached Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC ) soccer for Lethbridge College Kodiaks from 1985 – 1996 with the first eight years guiding the men's team and after a one-year hiatus, three years with the women's side.

During his 11-year tenure with the Kodaiks, he would be named ACAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year twice and ACAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year once.

In 1994-95 the Kodiaks women's soccer team would win ACAC gold by defeating MacEwan Griffins 4-0.

It was the Kodiaks first year in ACAC women's soccer with the conference having expanded from four to seven participating schools.

Kodiaks would advance to the 1994-1995 CCAA Women's Soccer national championships held in Abbotsford, British Columbia and hosted by the University College of the Fraser Valley, winning gold by shutting out Langara College 1-0.

To date, it is the Kodiaks, men or women, only CCAA soccer gold.

Tietz also officiated soccer until the age of 72 and his legacy with the college remains, as the Tietz/Petersen Scholarship Fund is awarded annually and supplies financial aid to a total of six Kodiaks athletes from the women's and men's soccer teams.

Of the ACAC Hall of Fame recognition Tietz replied: "It is awesome. I really didn't know that the (ACAC) had a Hall of Fame. But to be honoured like this is just amazing.

"I grew up with this game of soccer and to be recognized for something you love is amazing."